Fastest Compound Bow: How to Become The Speedy Gonzales of Archery

Do you love both speed and archery? Then you need a high-performing bow. The good news is the market is full of such products. And thanks to all the technological advancements, you don’t even have to sacrifice stability and silence for the sake of speed anymore.

That means you can easily get the fastest compound bow available and take perfect, clean shots, making humane kills. We’re here to tell you all about how speed is determined and how it influences the force of your shots, and then we’ll give you a comprehensive list of fast bows to choose from.

Calculating Speed and Why That’s Useful

Choosing the fastest compound bow on the market doesn’t entail making a speedy decision.

So here’s what you need to know about high-performance bows:

The advertised speed is point blank, meaning that it will be higher when you shoot and lower when the arrow gets to its destination.

The IBO ratings in place for establishing the maximum speed of your bow use the following standards: a 70 pounds draw weight, a 30 inches draw length and a 350 grains weight for the arrow.

Each inch of draw length equates 10 fps speed added or lost. A bow with a 32 inches draw length will have a 2×10=20 fps bigger speed than a bow with the standard 30 inches draw length.

Each pound of draw weight equates to 2 fps speed added or lost. A bow with a 50 pounds draw weight will, therefore, have a 2×20=40 fps smaller speed than a bow with the standard 70 pounds draw weight.

Each grain for the arrow equates to 0.3 fps added or lost. An arrow that weighs 400 grains will account for an increased speed of 0.3×50=15 fps bigger than an arrow weighing the standard 350 grains.

The IBO ratings don’t take into account the added accessories your bow has and the way in which their weight affects speed. Your precision is also worse than that of a machine, so subtract 8-10 fps from the official description to get a speed closer to reality.

That being said, speed influences how powerful your hit is on impact, but it’s not the sole factor. The weight of your arrow should be taken into account as well since a heavier weight will have more force to penetrate the skin, flesh and even bones of your game.

So that’s why you should calculate the kinetic energy, that takes into account these two values. You can either use an online calculator or the following formula:

Kinetic energy = Speed x Speed x Arrow weight in grains/ 450,240

The result is measured in ft-lbs and it helps you understand how big your game can be:

Small: below 25 ft-lbs.

Medium: 25-40 ft-lbs.

Large: 40-65 ft-lbs.

Huge: above 65 ft-lbs.

Basically, calculating the kinetic energy and understanding the size of the game you can target is the answer to the question: why is knowing your bow’s speed useful?

Come and Get It

The compound bows we’ve found to be best in the department of speed are the ones below. Make sure to choose a good one, and take into account other factors like workmanship apart from the common design specifications that show you if a compound bow is easy for you to handle (e.g.: axle-to-axle length, draw length; draw weight).

Diamond Carbon Cure

Description: This 3.7 stars Diamond Carbon Cure has a price range between $467.30 – $1,131.70, depending on the size and draw weight you choose.

It’s made out of carbon compound, which is one of the lightest, yet strongest materials on the market. So, while it’s easy to hold in your hand and to use, it’s also very stiff and resistant, adding to your balance.

Since it has a single cam, the entire shooting experience will feel quite comfortable mainly because of this feature, along with its quality materials that act together as a way of dampening noise and vibrations.

The axle-to-axle length is 32 inches, which isn’t that big, so you can handle your bow even when space can be an issue. So these are the main reasons why we argue that this is one good bow for treestanding.

The single cam construction is the choice of heart for many bow shooters, seeing as it can be better than the double-cam build when it comes to timing.

Plus, this particular product accounts for increased smoothness when you draw the bow, and it also has the rotating module. Therefore, the draw length will vary between 27 to 30.5 inches and the good news is that you can adjust it to your liking.

When it comes to the shooting speed, that reaches 325 fps which is quite high for shooting basically any sort of quarry especially since the kinetic energy produced is officially stated to be 82.15 ft-lbs.

With such measurements, the Diamond Carbon Cure is definitely one of the fastest compound bows on the market. And thanks to its carbon rise and Dura-Flex dampeners, the noise, and vibration levels are minimal.

Related: Diamond Archery offers this item in three different draw weights: 50 pounds, 60 pounds and 70 pounds, all available for left or right-hand use.

Description: This $550 PSE DNA SP compound bow is a very high-performance item because it can reach a shooting speed of about 350 fps, which is pretty high considering the average. This is the kind of speed that will help you target and shoot effectively any sort of large game with the right arrow.

Besides, the draw isn’t uncomfortable at all since this item is built with an SP cam, SP standing for a smooth pull.

The weight is again one of the lightest in this category, the riser is quite long and the limbs are stout, yet powerful.

All these characteristics make this a strong bow, which you can comfortably handle, and get a good grip of. The 6 inches brace height is a supplemental contributing factor to the very high speeds your bow can shoot arrows at.

The 24-30 inches range for draw lengths is great since it accommodates people of different sizes, and the adjustable draw weight range itself is pretty wide. The 50-70 pounds array is big enough to fit different levels of strength and it can be easily set with the set screws and limb bolts.

Shooting the bow is a pleasant experience too, thanks to its fine tuning and the riser marks made for easy alignment. Not to mention the light weight and good grip. But the draw cycle is amazing too since it’s smooth enough for a fast bow.

Speaking of which, although the speed is obviously the highlight of this bow and it does tend to start a little when you shoot it, the vibration levels are low, and it’s not really noisy either.

The axle-to-axle length is 32 inches, which makes it very stable and yet easy to handle when you’re treestanding.

That’s because it won’t get in your way in cramped spaces since the brace height itself is just 6 inches. However, the maximum speed it reaches is 350 fps, which will help you shoot any sort of animal you’re in the woods for, provided you have the right arrows for the job.

You can choose the coating and finish, with differently colored riser and limbs, to fit your preferences regarding patterns and hues. But all these options will help you camouflage better and stay hidden so that your game doesn’t see you behind the trees.

The high-quality materials from which this bow is manufactured feature the 7075 aluminum, which is used for both the riser and the cams. This material accounts for the bow’s strength, flexibility, and light weight, also contributing to an important reduction of vibration and noise.

The fact that its string stop construction can be adjusted so as to make the strings vibrate less is another plus to its design. Since you can add a rubber insert in two places on the riser, you can muffle the noise even more.

Another good material used is stainless steel for the stabilizer. This is pretty nice for when you’re trying to keep your bow stable and use it regardless of weather and high winds.

And since you’ll benefit from a Bear Hinge for the guard system, you can rest assured there’ll be less torque for you to feel, and you’ll be in full control of the bow the whole time.

The grip is strong and secure as it’s made from rubber and that will help you stabilize the bow even more in order to reach the maximum speed of about 350 fps, enough to kill even the biggest and fastest animals.

Since this bow is a really fast one, the draw cycle may feel a bit rough, but it still has less recoil and produces less sound than you’d expect.

Description: This 4.5 stars and $349.95 Diamond Archery Infinite Edge Pro Bow Package is one of the most valuable products in the archery area for beginners. But anyone can use it really, especially since it has a strong build, that’s resistant enough to satisfy even the most demanding shooters.

Since it’s rather low priced compared to other models, you won’t benefit from many advancements or extra features, but you can rely on its sturdiness. After all, the many positive reviews ascertain its high quality.

Take the limbs for instance: their parallel construction makes this bow look quite professional, but it also explains its increased stability. Therefore you’ll be in full control beginning with getting an accurate target and ending with making a precise shot.

Since the limbs attach by pivoting points, you can make sure there’ll be no extra vibrations or recoil to mess with your shot. Plus, the riser itself is awesome both in design and materials: its aluminum construction accounts for resistance to damages and smoothness of shots.

The earth-like colors are an added perk, that’ll hide you well when hunting. But that’s nothing compared to the overall comfort given by the grip for both right hands and left-hand shooters. Even if your hands aren’t gigantic, you can still get a good hold.

And since the draw weight can vary between 5 and 70 pounds, you get enough choices regardless of your strength level. Which also gives you a lot of room for improvement, or you can simply lend it to your kid, since the length can be adjusted between 13 to 30 inches.

The cam system is double, making your draw very smooth so that you can remain in absolute control of your aim, although you’ll get to as high as 310 fps speeds. However, this high speed is only possible if both the draw length and the draw weight are set at their top level.

You’ll get enough kinetic energy to target and mortally wound even the biggest game you’re after with this high speed, but the arrows you use have to be correspondingly heavy.

Description: This 4.7 stars and $162.63 is a great Genesis Original Bow, and it’s very fast too provided you’re using it for target practice. There’s no official description regarding its maximum speed because it can’t reach the 70 pounds draw weight used for measurement.

That, along with the fact that the draw weight range is between 10 to 20 pounds, renders this item better suited for target practice, beginners, and youths and not for hunting purposes. However, if you choose to use it like this, you’ll get to pretty decent speeds.

Since the let-off is practically zero, you can understand why it’s better for beginner archers or for competitions. Besides, there’s no chance for a beginner to use this bow improperly and thus developing bad long-term habits.

Plus, you can adjust this bow on a comfortable range between 15 to 30 inches in draw length, meaning people of different heights and arm lengths can use it comfortably.

The 35.5 axle-to-axle length isn’t enormous and can easily be handled by a beginner, and so is the 7.6 inches brace height. It’s probably a bit long for very tight spaces, but that won’t be a problem for target practice.

Which you can do over and over again safely since the Genesis Original is sturdy and strong thanks to its good materials. The riser is made from durable 6061-T6 aluminum, the cam is aluminum-made too, and the limbs are composite. That makes the bow quite light too.

And because the construction is single cam, you won’t have any problems tuning it according to your needs, the recoil is basically inexistent, shooting it makes to noise and all that contributes to very precise shots.

Related: Genesis Bows also offers this model for shooters with a left dominant eye: The Left Hand Model.

Reaching a speed of 285 fps, you can easily use it to target the medium animals in the wilderness, although it’s better guaranteed for smaller game.

That’s because the maximum speed is calculated for a 70 pounds to draw weight and this bow only reaches 40 pounds draw weight in the field. But the good news you can adjust it according to your needs, and can safely set it up even for 30 pounds.

The construction is single cam, explaining its smoothness and fine tuning abilities. That will contribute to minimizing the recoil, noise, and vibrations, allowing you to take accurate shots. The shock-free feature contributes to its silence and stability too, as do the Bear Flare Quad limbs. Basically, the whole draw cycle is smooth, and the bow is comfortable to handle.

The brace height is 7 inches and the draw length can easily be adjusted too, between 23 to 28 inches so that you can use it with ease even if you’re more petite. Since the axle-to-axle length is just 28 inches, that makes it awesome for treestanding or use in tight spaces.

And with the help of the four included pin sights, one peep sight, and stabilizer, nothing will stop you from taking the perfect shot.

Elite Impulse 34

Description: This Elite Impulse 34 is definitely one of the fastest on the market, since it reaches speeds up to 350 fps if you’re using the 70 draw weight and with an arrow weighing 350 grains. The 6 inches long brace height still offers a smooth draw cycle, and you can use the V-grip option to make it even more comfortable.

Although the 4.4 pounds weight makes it a bit heavier than the other products we’ve reviewed here, this can still be considered a plus when it comes to stability and improved control.

The design is great when it comes to the color and finish too. You can select the camo patterns that look really vintage, but also professional. But you can get other color combinations and patterns thanks to a wide array of hues you can choose from.

The riser has a cage that minimizes torque and helps with the stability, but it’s what renders this bow a bit heavier.

The cams make the draw cycle feel smooth enough for your comfortable use, and the cable slide construction has no additional components that revolve or flex. This design accounts for simplicity of use, which is further complemented by two mounting options, either in the front or in the rear.

The limbs are laminated in three layers, which makes them strong and able to endure a prolonged use. They additionally have dampeners that minimize sound and vibrations and can be selected for draw weights between 40 to 80 pounds.

So take that into account too if you’re more interested in speed than anything else. The draw length influences the maximum speed too, and you can choose anything between 27 to 31 inches.

You Made Your Choice, Right?

It’s said that we know what we want in mere seconds after seeing it. That goes for compound bows too. And if you’re really a high-performance shooter, you’ve probably already set your eyes on the grand prize.

So don’t make us wait: which one is it? We’d also love to hear your opinion about fast bows and why you like them: is it the thrill of the kill or the fact that you can target your game more humanely?

And if you had to choose (not that you need to, but still): would you get a very fast bow or a very steady one?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shawn Harrison

Shawn Harrison is our expert in hunting. He was born in Alaska, so hunting was his hobby since high school. Later, Shawn took a Hunter Training at Alaska Department of Fish and Game to structure his knowledge and now he is open to share his knowledge with our readers. Shawn is taking ‘Safety First’ approach on all of his trips, especially is some people are going hunting for the first time.

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